A saying ‘learn to walk before running’ is very well known and it is very obvious that ‘learn to stand firm before walking’. That’s the maturity process to RUN and it’s important to ‘learn running fast before flying’. Let me apply my startup experience with the above analogy for running a business. When we analyze and look back at the growth of big corporations and successful companies, we can see that they grew up in stages. Every start-up is like a new-born baby. It passes through different stages before it becomes a behemoth. Startup goes through 5 stages to be successful, which I would like to call as the “Business Maturity Model”. The 5 stages are: Business Maturity Model # Initiate – This stage lays the foundation, when the company is getting a feel of the market and finding its feet in the corporate arena with an idea and a purpose. # Build – Here, the company is looking at building the set of competencies for which it would like to be known for. # Sustain – The Company seeks to continuously prove itself on the defined domains and accomplish more. Attaining a level, to live on its own. # Grow – After the entity is known for something and it has made a name, it can further consolidate its position by becoming one of the top companies in the market in that space. # Expand – Once a company has grown, it can expand atleast in 2 ways. Firstly, it can grow in the newer pastures vertically by expanding to newer spaces. Secondly, it can grow horizontally by covering more ground with higher market share in the complementing space. There is no looking back here as the startup no longer is considered as one and it has taken off!! Often many of these stages may be slow and painful but in the long run it is worth the effort because the ultimate result is so fulfilling. “Success is tempting, but there is no shortcut to it!” – Naveen Lakkur image courtesy: tech.co